Turning Storm

Shuuei had been flattered but not hugely surprised, when Shou-taishi came to talk to him about a new assignment. He was, after all, one of the rising stars of the palace military. He worked quite hard to be. He’d expected it to pay off. Now, though, he had to wonder just what Shou-taishi had really been thinking.

“Just because you can trounce almost anyone with that sword of yours doesn’t mean you don’t need a guard,” the old man told him briskly. “You’re a prince. If you don’t get into any more trouble, you’re going to be the Emperor. You don’t have enough time to always be thinking of your own defense.” He waved at Shuuei, standing beside him. “Ran-shougun is one of the best, himself.”

Shuuei smiled with his best balance of professional and friendly as Seien-koushi’s glance raked over him; no sense fanning the fire Shou-taishi was cheerfully building. Shuuei made a mental note that Shou-taishi seemed to like antagonizing the Prince. He should find out why.

“One of the best, to guard my back?” Seien-koushi asked with a lightness that Shuuei didn’t believe for an instant. “What a nice change.” He and Shou-taishi smiled at each other, just a little too toothily for comfort. The Prince pushed up to his feet and came around his desk, sharp eyes focused now on Shuuei, dismissing Shou-taishi entirely. “Show me.”

“Of course, your Highness,” Shuuei murmured.

As Shuuei followed Seien from the room he thought he caught a faint chuckle from Shou-taishi.

Seien led the way out to one of the small, closed courtyards, glancing around at its emptiness and nodding with satisfaction. “This will do.” He turned, drawing his sword with a smoothness that made Shuuei’s nerves sharpen. “Come.”

Shuuei drew his own sword and did as he was told.

The first few exchanges were cautious, leashed, testing. They were also silent, which might not bode well for an easy working relationship but was more or less what Shuuei had expected. Seien-koushi wasn’t known for social chatter. Those passes were not, however, anywhere near the level Shou-taishi had implied the Prince could reach, so Shuuei pushed a little harder, testing back.

Seien-koushi’s mouth tightened, and he threw the attacks back with no apparent trouble. Shuuei gave the Prince his most charming smile and pushed harder still, pressing Seien back off balance for a moment. Shuuei nodded to himself and paused, prepared to draw back and see whether the Prince wanted another round.

He almost missed the change.

In the instant that Seien wavered, guard starting to fall open, his eyes cleared, blanked. Shuuei didn’t even have time to frown with his puzzlement before he was the one on the defensive, pushed back and back again by the Prince’s attack.

The part of his mind that wasn’t alarmed was impressed. Seien had precision so sharp it could only be called finesse, yet his style was driven by such wild force Shuuei felt like he was being attacked by a flailing berserker. Only much worse, because, of course, the Prince wasn’t flailing at all. Even in his rare practice sessions with Sou-taifu, Shuuei had never felt anything like it. It was nothing like what he had expected from the reserved, courteous Prince that the Court knew.

This time, it was his foot that came down a fraction off, his balance that wavered, and Seien didn’t hesitate. At all. He came in to kill, sword slashing up toward Shuuei’s bared throat. Steel rasped as their swords locked. Shuuei strained to hold his block, a breath from being disarmed. It took him a moment before he could speak.

“Seien-sama,” he murmured, voice low, calling the Prince to come back from wherever he’d gone.

Seien stepped back from him abruptly, eyes shuttered again just as quickly as that.

Shuuei sheathed his sword slowly. His blood was singing with the heat of the fight, and his mind was whirling with speculation.

For years, now, he had thought his initial task for his clan was no longer necessary. The most capable prince of them all was going to take the throne, and Shuuei didn’t need to do anything to insure it. Now… now, he thought perhaps his job wasn’t done yet.

It was, however, good that he had transferred to the military; fewer people would suspect what he was doing, that way.

Seien was still watching him, silent and breathing fast.

Shuuei’s lips quirked. “Shou-taishi was certainly right that you don’t much need anyone else’s sword to guard you from attackers,” he admitted. “But I hope, my prince, that you will allow me to guard you from this.” His gesture took in their match just finished, the blood that had come very close to being spilled.

Seien’s surprise made him look younger for a moment. “You…” and then that cool guard was back up. “Why?”

“Because I’m rather taken with the idea of doing right by my country?” Shuuei offered.

Shuuei didn’t know why his answer had made the Prince’s mouth twist.

Yet.

He’d find out.

“Try again,” Seien told him, voice dry.

Shuuei considered the wild rage that had just come at him behind that sword, and compared it with the ice-slick face Seien showed to the Court. That was not the combination of a man who trusted easily. He was going to have to take another risk, he thought, to reach his task. “Because you are the ruler Ran has always supported,” he answered, quietly. “Because I was sent here for you. Because you need someone who knows your temper to stay your hand.” He spread his hands and waited to see if honesty would move his prince.

After a long, silent moment, Seien inclined his head. “Well. Let us see.”

That was probably as good as he could hope for, for now, and Shuuei smiled ruefully and bowed. “Yes, your Highness.”

He would have to write his brothers and tell them he had found his place after all.

I adore how you taken so many small things into consideration in this AU. There’s a slow progression towards the arrangement in the series where Kouyuu and Shuuei are the Emperor’s close advisors. But of course, there’s a different emperor. You’re almost doing a more complete explanation of how they get there than the series does itself. (I can only go from the anime.)

Thanks so much for sharing. I look forward to where you’ll take this twist of fate.

I’m trying to weave in the little hints we get in the novels, but I have to rely on Kage’s translations and summaries, so I have to fill in a lot of the blanks for myself, too. *wry grin* Ah, well, that’s what an AU is all about.

*giggles* Yeah, and Shou is going to have fun while he still can, that’s for sure.

I’m having huge fun with Shuuei, in this AU, especially since, if I can get them that far, there will eventually be huge tension between his genuine loyalty to Seien and his loyalty to his clan. *plots*

Shou always struck me as the type who will continue to be the one holding the chain rather than one that has a chain that others can jerk (with possibly the exception of Eiki). Poor Seien probably will need another 50 years or so of experience before he can jerk Shou’s chain (and by then presumably Shou would’ve taken on another guise already…)

And yayness for conflict between loyalties. This is especially interesting because in the novels, it was discussed that for both Kouyuu and Shuuei, their clan held more power over them than Ryuuki. But it was also mentioned that things could have turned out differently if they had been with Ryuuki since he was a prince, which was the case in this AU (except with Seien). Certainly neither of them lack charisma, though Seien’s not as ‘cute’ as Ryuuki.

To wrap up this already too-long comment, I recently scrapped an idea to open up a Saiunkoku doodles-request post on my sketchblog and decided to just ask 5 people instead. If you want a doodle, let me know what you’d like!

*wry* Yeah, I expect Seien is probably doomed to be chain-yanked. Though I would not put it past Shou to poke Seien until he explodes and says he has his own advisors and Shou can take a hike; at which point, Shou would stroll off whistling.

Yes, clan loyalties look like they’ll be a big issue in canon! And, of course, in the AU Seien knows that Kouyuu is loyal first to his foster-father, but at first he thinks Shuuei might at least be a draw. And then, later, he has to stress that and tip the balance one way or the other. Drama everywhere!

*hearts* Thank you! Really, he and Seien do work well together, despite or because of the way they pull against each other.

*takes a moment to look words up* Ensure is probably the most proper, though current usage does ascribe “to make certain or sure” to both insure and assure, as well. I do rather like the commercial connotations of insure, there, but I might change it in the last pass. Thanks for mentioning it!

And for Shuuei, as well, it seems he’s doing quite well for himself. Shogun already? Just how far along does this take place? I take it from the exchange with Shou that there’s still some question about Seien’s ascension, however small. Does that mean that some of the other princes are still around and could potentially challenge him for the position?

I like the hidden Seien-angst that Shuuei managed to pull up, although Shuuei’s lucky he didn’t get killed. Geez.

I’m thinking this takes place around two or three years before canon-start. Really, Shuuei’s rank is my time-marker in this one. I /think/ Shou is mostly just needling, but Ryuuki is around so if something went dreadfully wrong I suspect Shou would have no real problem with giving Seien the axe. ^_^;

*grins* Shuuei is very lucky. And very lucky he really is that good. Seien is chock full of nasty survival reflexes, and hasn’t had a whole lot of chance to develop moderation yet.

::amused:: In this continuity Shou has a backup plan. I wonder if he ever considered that in-series, if Seiran was his ace in the hole in case he was in truly dire straights . . . but it confuses me somewhat because I feel like Shou would have moved on it earlier. He definately knew Seiran was there, but maybe there was some other requirement of Shou’s that Seiran in-series didn’t meet . . .

Seien probably hasn’t had anyone touch off his deadlier instincts very often since he came back. Unless there were assassination attempts after his return . . . if there were any I imagine he dispatched them with extreme prejudice.

*cheers for Seien & Shuuei meeting* Seien and Shou needling each other…somehow I see that continuing even when Seien takes the throne. Looking forward to when he meets Kouyuu. Given his reputation, I don’t doubt Seien will be able to rival Kouyuu in the intelligence department as well.

Thank you! *grins* And, yeah, I don’t think Shou can live without needling; it’s like breathing for him.

Kouyuu gets a somewhat more uneventful introduction, but still with lots of scheming and needling between Seien and Shou. I think Kouyuu and Seien will rather hit it off, though, they’re both such perfectionists!

I’m a fan of Shuuei as well (and I like his little brother even more :P)

There are so few fics dealing with anything Ran-clan related that I’m always glad whenever I see a story even *mentioning* Shuuei and his brothers 😀 And when it’s goodfic? Well, that’s worth throwing my Speshul Confetti indeed!